The present invention relates to a container unloading system and, more particularly, to an unloading system for a container containing materials, such as forage, wood chips, corn and the like
Various unloading systems have been employed in either stationary or movable containers for such materials, and particularly, for forage.
One such prior unloading system employs a plurality of beaters which rotate in the container to loosen the forage. The forage is moved forward in the container by feed chain conveyors on the floor thereto. At the forward end of the forage box or container, the beaters loosen the forage and a cross chain conveyor discharges it transversely from the forage box or container.
The aforementioned unloading system has several important disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the beaters and the mechanical drive mechanism therefor are extremely complex and the beaters themselves are very dangerous. Another disadvantage is in the chain conveyors which are employed in the aforementioned unloading systems. If one of the conveyors breaks, its links will become mixed with the forage and can quite possibly result in the death of the animals consuming the forage. Still another disadvantage of the aforementioned unloading system is that it cannot be easily installed on preexisting forage boxes or feed bins.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,028 an unloading system is disclosed which has the express purpose of overcoming some of the last mentioned disadvantages of the system employing beaters. In that Letters Patent a forage box unloading system is disclosed in which the beaters have been eliminated and an auger is mounted to rotate and advance transversely across the floor of the forage box to convey forage toward one end of the box. At that end of the box a chain conveyor is positioned to receive the forage from the auger and discharge the forage from the box.
Although the unloading system disclosed in the aforementioned Letters Patent overcomes one or more of the disadvantages of the prior unloading system employing beaters, it still suffers several important disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the mechanical drive mechanisms needed to drive the auger both in rotation and transversely across the floor of the forage box, and also to drive the cross conveyor, are extremely complex. Such drive mechanisms include an elaborate set of jack knifing arms which are not only complex, but are dangerous to personnel operating the system. Moreover, the chain cross conveyor is subject to clogging and also to the aforementioned disadvantage of the possibility of links getting into the silage if the chain breaks. Still other disadvantages of the complex mechanically operated unloading system disclosed in the Letters Patent is that it is extremely noisy, is subject to extensive maintenance requirements, is heavy and space consuming, and is dangerous due not only to the presence of the jack knifing arms, but also because of the numerous chain drives and other moving parts which are necessary to drive the mechanically driven system.
An unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention overcomes substantially all of these several aforementioned disadvantages of both prior unloading systems. The unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention may be used either in a stationary container or in a mobile container for containing materials such as forage, wood chips, corn cobs and the like. An unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention does not include beaters as in the prior unloading system and, therefore, is substantially simpler and safer. An unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention may employ augers instead of chain conveyors for conveying the materials in the container and, thereby, eliminates the danger of the presence of broken links in the forage. An unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention can be readily installed on existing forage boxes or feed containers. An important advantage of an unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention is that the presence of complex moving mechanical parts is substantially reduced and jack knifing arms and extensive chain drives may be eliminated, thereby reducing weight and space requirements, its noise level during operation, its maintenance requirements, and hazardous personnel conditions. Moreover, the augers which are preferably employed in an unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention are not as susceptible to clogging as are the chain conveyors employed in the prior systems. In an unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention, power takeoff units may also be eliminated and many, if not all, of the moving parts of the system may be enclosed within the container or within suitable enclosures to prevent damage to the parts themselves and injury to personnel. In an unloading system incorporating the principles of the present invention, an auger moves the material in the container, the auger advances transversely of the container, and the resistance to this transverse movement may be sensed to vary the speed of the transverse movement depending upon the amount and kind of material in the container.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, an unloading system for a container having a floor and a pair of substantially parallel sidewalls comprises an auger which is rotatable about an axis and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the sidewalls of the container. A fluid motor on the auger rotates the auger about the axis to convey material in the container toward one end of the auger. Mounting means mounts the auger to advance transversely across the floor of the container between the sidewalls and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls. Drive means drives the mounting means to advance the auger transversely back and forth across the floor while the auger is rotating and resistance sensing means senses the resistance to the transverse movement of the auger by the material in the container to vary the speed of the transverse movement of the auger across the floor of the container.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned drive means for transversely driving the auger across the floor of the container also comprises a second fluid motor.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned resistance sensing means includes relief means for controlling the fluid pressure in the last mentioned fluid motor.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned mounting means comprises track means extending transversely of the container and carriage means which is movable along the track, and an end of the auger is rotatably mounted on the carriage means.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, conveyor means in the container also extend transversely of the container and are positioned adjacent one end of the auger to receive the material conveyed by the auger.
In still another principal aspect of the invention, all of the drives in the aforementioned systems are fluid motors.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.